


Stress

by hornblowerfic_archivist



Category: Hornblower (TV), Hornblower - C. S. Forester
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-02-12
Updated: 2004-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-27 06:36:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6273610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hornblowerfic_archivist/pseuds/hornblowerfic_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Horatio ponders the effects of stress on Archie since their transfer to <i>Renown</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stress

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Versaphile, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Hornblowerfic.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Hornblowerfic.com). Deciding that it needed to have a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in January 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact the e-mail address on [Hornblowerfic.com collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hornblowerfic/profile).

Horatio tossed his blanket aside and dragged himself out of bed. This was the fourth night in a row.

He crept the few feet over to Archie's cabin and pushed the door open. The thin wall between their cabins made sure that he knew if Archie was having nightmares, and since their transfer to _Renown_ , they'd been unfortunately often. He knelt on the floor and gently shook Archie awake.

Archie sat up with a gasp, his bright eyes darting around the room in a panic before taking in Horatio's presence. "Oh, god, not again."

Horatio nodded. They'd been thrilled to transfer to Captain Sawyer's command when they'd reluctantly left _Indefatigable_. They'd known his reputation and knew that serving well with him would do great things for their careers.

Then they'd met the man. Horatio had not seen it – had not wanted to see it – but Archie had noticed that something was off from the outset. Having served first with Captain Keene and then Captain Pellew they both knew well what real discipline was versus capricious punishment and random rewards.

The stress was wearing on Archie, having spent years as the victim of such disorder. And nobody Horatio knew had a worse reaction to stress than Archie. He'd seen it when Simpson had returned to _Justinian_ , then later _Indefatigable_ , and even when he himself had found him in Cadiz.

He settled himself on the floor, reaching forward to stroke Archie's hair, hoping that if he kept a close enough watch on his friend, his reactions could be played off as nightmares. Certainly living in a war zone, having spent two years in Hell, and the disaster in France would be plenty of reasons to have nightmares. And if Horatio were vigilant enough, he could wake Archie before the nightmares turned into fits. Keene hadn't noticed them and Pellew had tacitly ignored them in favor of keeping a good officer. But Sawyer. . . Sawyer could not be trusted to be compassionate. So far, Horatio acknowledged grimly, most of Sawyer's animosity had been turned on him and he wondered if he could keep it that way. Keep Archie out of that particular line of fire.

And he was still wrestling with the idea of telling Archie about how he felt about him. He wasn't sure if it would help to heal some old scars, or add to an already stressful life.


End file.
